Five Times Sky Changed and one time he didn't
by lilyleia78
Summary: SPD. Five events that changed Sky's dreams. Slash, written for livejournal's prsw22.


**Disclaimer: I don't own them. I just play with them from time to time. This is a companion piece to Five Times Jack Woke up Alone, but it can be read as a stand-alone. Comment.**

**Five Times Sky changed (and one time he didn't)**

_The first time he was changed by tragedy._

Sky couldn't remember what he dreamt about as a child. Surely they must have been typical little boy dreams – dinosaurs, lightball, cars. The first dreams he _could_ remember were nightmares about his father.

His mother never knew that Sky was hiding at the top of the stairs that night. He couldn't hear what the Commander said, but he heard his mother's sobs. And no one had to explain to the child of a Power Ranger what that meant.

He lay awake after that staring at a recent picture of himself with his father. When his mother came to get him in the morning Sky pretended to just be waking up. Normally she wouldn't have fallen for this, but she was wrapped in her own grief. So Sky took the news calmly and promised his mother that he would take care of her.

When exhaustion finally overcame sorrow the next day, his boyhood dreams were gone. They had been replaced with images of his father still and broken amidst a destroyed landscape. Every night when the nightmares woke him, whichever relative was currently staying to 'help' his mother would come to him. He refused all their efforts to coddle him but listened with rapt attention to their stories of his father.

Eventually, the nightmares were replaced with dreams of being red ranger. He would catch those who took fathers away from families that needed them and make his father proud.

_The second time he was changed by love._

The dream remained completely unaltered until he made D-Squad, until Dru. His new best friend changed him. Dru was as dedicated to SPD as he was, but Dru also knew how to have a good time. When they were together, Sky could be different. He could laugh. He could joke. He could be in love. And none of that had to mean he was giving up his dream of being the Red Ranger. None of that had to mean he was betraying his father. So his dream remained basically the same, but now included someone to fight beside him.

_The third time he didn't change so much as revert._

Dru was gone. Dru was gone, and no one knew who he really was anymore. Charlie thought he was only there on the strength of his dead father. Rose had tried to get to know everyone when she first arrived, but Sky was only interested in Dru then. By the time Sky regretted that choice Rose was too tied up in Charlie and Charlie's dreams to notice him. She probably would have made an effort given time, but then she and Charlie got bumped up to C-Squad. They had new friends to make in Miguel, Don, and Des. That was when Sky learned that squads didn't stay together forever, any more than families did.

If the new cadets had arrived while Dru was still there he might have been more open. He might have been interested in their genetic abilities, so similar to his own. But Dru was not only gone from Earth, but missing from everywhere. Sky hurt so bad he couldn't breath. He had to lock away all of his feelings and thoughts of Dru just to survive.

He ignored Charlie's ability to have the love of Rose and the adoration of the rest of her newly formed squad while quickly rising all the way to A-level. _He_ didn't need anyone else – no lover, no friends, and no teammates. They were just distractions. The dream went back to its original form, and he clung to it more fiercely than before.

_The fourth time Jack unintentionally set him adrift._

The arrival of Jack and Z changed the group dynamic, but Sky refused (at first) to let it interfere with his goal. The plan was to ignore his attraction to Jack. Jack was dangerous. Jack made him forget who he was, or maybe he made him remember. Either way, it got under Sky's skin. He needed to stay focused on his dream. Goofing off with Dru was fine, because that was D-level. Because Dru never forgot that SPD came first.

When ignoring it failed, Sky decided to face the problem head on. He and Jack called a truce, and then Sky proposed a way to get rid of their attraction. Jack was game for a one night affair. He was also game for extending the practice when once proved not enough. Not nearly enough.

If Dru had stayed missing, Sky and Jack might have tired of their casual encounters and drifted into friendship. Or maybe they would have continued their arrangement until one of them found someone else.

Or maybe not. Perhaps they had been doomed from the moment they met. There probably wasn't another person in the universe so perfect for Sky as Jack. Who else could sooth his vulnerability with such confidence or counter his arrogance with such openness? Even their powers were perfect compliments. Only Sky could prevent Jack from slipping through his fingers. Only Jack could push through his walls.

The night Dru was contained Sky was using Jack. He wanted to lose himself in the willing body beneath his and forget traitorous ex-lovers. But Jack, the bastard, did something he'd never done before – he let Sky take total control. When Sky paused to search Jack's face, unsure what he was hoping to find, Jack kissed him with surprising gentleness. Looking back, that was the moment when Sky became uncertain about his life's plan.

_The fifth time love changed him again._

Sky knew exactly when his dreams became fixed again. It was the day after he reclaimed his body from Wootox. He'd slept fitfully. Jack's accidental declaration of love combined with his immediate retreat threw Sky's emotions into turmoil. Every time he closed his eyes he would see Jack's face when he inadvertently revealed his feelings, the affectionate smile turning to panic.

Sky mentally rewrote the scene. In his mind he pinned Jack down and made him listen while Sky told him a thousand times that he loved him too. He kissed his face repeatedly and whispered words sweet and loving until Jack believed him. Then Jack would flip them over and show Sky how much he loved him with his mouth, with his hands, with his whole body.

Sky woke up the next morning when Jack lifted the covers and crawled in bed with him. The red ranger opened his mouth to speak, but Sky had plans of his own. He smothered Jack's words with his mouth and set out to make his dreams a reality.

_Sky discovers that dreams are fluid._

When Cruger announced that Jack had left SPD, Sky was dumbfounded. He understood why Jack had left. He was surprised at how quickly it happened, but he had been expecting the resignation itself. Ever since Jack had met Ally all he talked about was how much he missed helping people. Sky thought saving lives every day was a pretty big help, but he knew that Jack craved the personal contact.

What really had Sky puzzled was that Jack hadn't said a word to him. Granted, they'd been a little busy. Still, a heads-up would have been nice. Z caught up with him as they were leaving the Command Center.

"Once something's over, he's gone," she repeated as an opening

"Are you saying he wants this to be over?" Sky asked her.

"NO. No, of course not. That's not what I meant," Z stopped when she saw the grin on Sky's face. "But you knew that already. Jerk," she said with an affectionate smack on his arm.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. I know how Jack feels. I just also thought he knew how I feel."

"He does, but he's too stupid to figure out that your feelings for him are unrelated to your feelings for SPD," Z looked at him hesitantly. "They are unrelated right."

"No, I hit on all red rangers. It's a fetish. Charlie was NOT amused," his sarcastic words were softened by the twinkle of amusement in his eyes. Z raised a doubtful eyebrow at him, silently musing on the changes in Sky. There was a lightness to him now. Love looked good on him.

Sky, unaware of her inner musings, responded to her skepticism by continuing his tease. "No seriously. I'm convinced this whole 'evil' A-Squad thing was just an act of revenge against me. It was probably all Rose's idea. She looks sweet and innocent but she's got a jealous streak a mile wide."

Z lost the battle to maintain a straight face and laughed, holding her hands up in surrender. "Sorry I asked. Come on, let's go track down our ex-fearless-leader. You'll have to tell him you've fulfilled your lifelong dream of stealing his job."

Sky's eyes turned serious as Z ran off to see if Kat knew how to find Jack. _Actually, _he thought to himself, _I'll have to see if Jack's interested in making some new dreams. _That reminded the new red ranger of Jack's list, and he grinned broadly to himself. He'd need to find a pet store. He had a marvelous idea for a housewarming gift.

Jack's list is a reference to my story Setting Goals. All you really need to know is that Jack has a list of things he'd like to do before he dies and own a dog is on it.


End file.
